The Memories That Made Us
by burnthiscityxx
Summary: Joe Jonas looks back on the times he spent with Demi Lovato. My first real-life fic!


**Hi everybody! Okay, so I don't really know where to categorize this particular fanfic. I wrote this after the whole Joe Jonas/Demi Lovato thing fell apart. I really like them together, but even before that, I liked their friendship. So...that's how this came to be. Lol. This is my first real-life fanfic, so go easy on me! Review, thought, I'd really love to hear your thoughts! =) Also, there are flashbacks in this because...well, they're fun. Haha.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He ran a hand through his short, dark hair, as he walked into the backstage door of the venue, re-familiarizing himself with the sights and sounds of a busy tour-in-progress. He had stepped out to run an errand for his father and stepping back into the amphitheater, he felt the comfortable, adrenaline-rushing excitement creep back into his system. Tour, for him, was about playing his heart out with his two brothers; together, they made an electric trio onstage. It had been several years since all this had started, from the minute they guest-starred on _Hannah Montana_ to performing at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder. And yet, he never got tired of it, he just wanted more. _'Well, this is more. You wanted it, you got it,'_ he thought to himself, walking past several roadies and other members of their crew.

"Joe! You up for some ping-pong?" Alyson Stoner, a cast mate from their upcoming Disney movie, shouted across the room at him. He turned his head, to see her and several other dancers and backup singers milling around the ping-pong table, ready to start a game. Joe grinned.

"Nah, I can't kick a girl's butt. It's not gentlemanly," he snickered.

"As if! I could beat you with my eyes closed!" Alyson cried indignantly, before laughing and starting to play a fierce game against Anna Maria. Joe leaned against the wall, watching the girls flick their wrists, intense and determined looks masking their faces. He laughed, when Anna Maria fumbled and dropped her paddle, causing Alyson to break out into a victory dance. Joe loved backstage antics on tour as much as he loved being onstage. But this summer, as much as he wanted to deny it, things were different. And he couldn't escape the fact that it all had to do with one person: Demi Lovato. After being best friends for three years and countless tours and performances together, they had taken the next step in their relationship, only to have it fall apart a few months later. He didn't regret dating his best friend, but the awkward tension and still-electric chemistry would always be there, especially now that they were on tour, traveling and singing together.

* * *

_"I'm beating you! I'm totally beating you!" she clapped her hands excitedly, pointing at the small whiteboard that held the top game scores of ping-pong._

_ "Cool it, Lovato. We've only played four games so far," Joe rolled his eyes._

_ "Give it up, Jonas. You're beat! Three more to go and you're done!" Demi stuck her tongue out playfully at him. They had been playing a "best out of 7" ping-pong game ever since they had arrived at the venue and Joe hated to admit it, but he was getting his ass kicked by a girl._

_ "Just serve, alright?" he mumbled, watching Demi skip to the other end of the table, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder.  
"Aw, is someone angry he's losing?" she mocked, in a sing-song voice. Joe rolled his eyes, his eyebrows furrowing._

_ "Serve, Demi," he growled with determination._

_ "Not until you cheer up and give me a smile that makes all the girls sa-woon!" she plucked the ping-pong ball off the table and twirled around in a circle. As much as Joe was letting his overly-macho attitude take over him, he couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Demi shaking her hips in her cut-off denim shorts._

_ "You're a dork," he laughed._

_ "You're smiling!" she grinned. _

_ "Serve!" he commanded playfully._

_ "Ah, you love me," she shrugged nonchalantly, before pulling a fast one on him and serving quickly. The ball bounced onto his side of the table, but when he was sure he could return it, the paddle slipped out of his hands. He heard Demi clamp a hand over her mouth to hold back the giggles, but he lost control as he clumsily tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor._

_ "You're dead, Lovato," he said menacingly, getting up and taking a step towards her, waggling his fingers._

_ "No. Don't tickle me! I swear, I didn't mean to laugh," she protested, giggling. "You just should've seen your face! It was like, the saddest puppy look!" she explained, backing away._

_ "Uh-uh. Don't care. You're getting it," he took another step closer, then lunged at her, grabbing her waist and tossing her up over his shoulder. She was light, but she was also resisting him, slapping his shoulders and kicking wildly. "Geez, calm down!" he laughed._

_ "Put me down!" she shrieked. Their screams were muffled by laughter and before Joe knew it, they had fallen into a heap on a nearby couch, their limbs tangled with one another. "You're a terrible ping-pong player. And a sore loser," she pouted._

_ "I make up for it in other areas," he scoffed, shaking his head to get the strands of hair out of his eyes, before Demi reached up and brushed them away for him, instead._

_ "I guess you do," she said quietly, bringing her hand down to her lap, but not before she softly touched his cheek, an intimate gesture that brought chills down his spine. They were best friends, they had been ever since they filmed Camp Rock, but sometimes they had moments like this, moments where Joe was sure they could be something more. "Oh, crap, sound-check time," Demi said, as her phone buzzed, interrupting the tense silence that was between them._

_ "Right," Joe nodded, his eyes glazed. They got up quickly, Demi straightening out her top and smoothing down her hair. He gulped, noticing for the billionth time that tour, how beautiful she had gotten. His mind quickly thought back to the first show they had ever played together, two tours ago, and how nervous and fidgety she had been. Now, Demi Lovato had made a name for herself, commanding the stage and bringing thousands of fans to their feet. Joe remembered she had been a kid sister to him back then, but now…things had seemed different for a while, hadn't they? _

_ "C'mon, slow-poke," she teased, leaning against the doorway, waiting for him. Joe gazed at her long, toned legs and the way her white top was falling dangerously low on one shoulder, exposing her tanned skin. He made his way towards her, noticing how easy it was to just brush his fingers against his, before dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. They smiled and left to do what they did best: sing their hearts out._

* * *

Joe left the ping-pong tournament after watching a few games and decided to walk around the area, following wherever his feet took him. He liked to do this once in a while, get re-acquainted with the venue, so it felt like a piece of home to him, even though they would be packing up and leaving in several hours. He passed several of the Camp Rock dancers, waving hello and stopping for a quick conversation here and there. As he approached the main hallway, Joe heard the random strumming of guitars. Poking his head inside one their band's dressing room, he saw Garbo, Jack, Ryan, and several of the back-up singers, holding an impromptu jam session. Joe leaned against the doorway, surveying the sight of guitars, road cases, wires, and keyboards strewn around the room. An iPod was plugged in and they were singing everything from the brothers' latest hits to covers of The Beatles' oldest songs.

"Pick up a guitar, dude," Jack acknowledged him, spinning drumsticks along his fingers. "Or I'm sure you could find a tambourine in here somewhere," he chuckled. Joe grinned.

"Nah, I'm good, man. Just keep at it," he shrugged his shoulders, suddenly feeling tired. Was it strange that he didn't feel like joining a random jam session nowadays? During the past tours, if he wasn't busy playing his Xbox, he was hanging out with the band, listening to music and playing covers. Lately, it felt as if everything had shifted, slightly uncomfortably.

"If you say so," Jack replied, shouting at Garbo to pick up the tempo. The room filled with an infectious beat, reminiscent of a song Joe recognized as one of Demi's. Sighing to himself, he watched the others as they laughed and joked, playing and creating music, unable to find himself as pumped as he was before.

* * *

_Demi leaned back in the chaise longue, propping her acoustic guitar across her lap, before strumming a few notes to get it in tune. Joe sat across from her, a pen and paper in front of him, racking his brain for a topic. It was a few months before they would leave for their own tours and Joe and Demi were hanging out at the Jonas household, lazing the day away. They had eaten their way through 4 packs of Oreos, a mountain of candy, and half a tub of ice cream. Needless to say, they were both in a sugar coma, but somehow, they had gotten it into their heads that writing a song at that moment would be a good idea. So there was Joe, tapping his pen against the table, trying to think of something to rhyme with the words, 'sick' and 'sugar.'_

_ "Maybe this was a bad idea," Demi piped up, shaking strands of her hair out of her eyes._

_ "I can't think. I just want to close my eyes and sleep," he replied, pouting at her. She giggled and slid off the chaise to sit next to him. Peering over at the piece of paper in front of him, she burst out laughing._

_ "You're my sugar rush, like cotton candy, we'll spin and come together?" she read the lyrics aloud._

_ "It sounded better in my head!" Joe said indignantly, poking Demi in her side. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. _

_ "No wonder Nick writes all your songs," she joked._

_ "Funny, Dems. Real funny," Joe rolled his eyes and tickled for a bit, causing her to erupt into another fit of giggles. She slapped him away and shaking his head, Joe picked up the discarded guitar and propped it on his lap._

_ "Play me something," she urged. Joe looked at her warily. Demi was sitting with her feet tucked under her, an arm on the seat of the couch, her fingers twirling the ends of her hair. She was dressed comfortably in shorts and an old t-shirt that was his, nonetheless, and her glasses. The sunlight caught her face perfectly and for a minute, Joe was breathless at the sight of her. _'When did she get so beautiful?'_ he thought. But that was ridiculous. Because Demi had always been beautiful, it only took Joe several years to realize it. "Come on, play me something. Otherwise I'll go on TMZ and post that you're musically incapable," she threatened, punching him lightly on the arm. He chuckled and began strumming a few familiar notes._

_ "I think you know this one," he joked, and began to sing. "_Before I fall, too fast. Kiss me quick, but make it last. So I can see how badly this will hurt me, when you say goodbye_," he looked up at her and saw her eyes light up excitedly._

_ "_Keep it sweet, keep it slow. Let the future past, but don't let go,_" she sang quietly, her head down. Joe tipped her chin to look at him and went back to strumming on the guitar, as they sang the next few words together, their voices blending together in perfect harmony._

But tonight I could fall too soon under this beautiful moonlight…

* * *

Joe couldn't remember the first time he admitted to himself that he had fallen for her. It might have been before they left for their separate tours; although Nick and Kevin were positive it was the minute they sang their first Camp Rock duet together. Joe pondered all this, as he strolled backstage of the venue, remembering what it felt like the first time he kissed her; and _really_ kissed her, not the on-screen kind and definitely not Disney appropriate. He remembered the way her hand fit in his, the way she was just the perfect height to fit her head into the crook of his neck comfortably. Shaking his head at the thoughts that consumed him, Joe looked up to catch a glimpse of Kevin, who was busy showing Danielle how to use the Segway. His arms fit perfectly around her waist and they laughed together, throwing their heads back, as the toy lurched forward unexpectedly. With huge smiles on their faces, Kevin gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek and Joe sighed, feeling the familiar pang of jealousy fall over him.

"Hey, bro," Kevin said, noticing his little brother leaning against the wall, a dejected look on his face. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Uh, you getting the hang of that, Dani?" Joe chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Not even close," Danielle giggled.

"It takes a while," Joe shrugged in response. "I'm going to find Nick," he added, pushing himself off the wall and walking along the dressing rooms. He knew Kevin understood the strange mood he was in right now, so he couldn't be bothered with explaining it to him. "Hey, man," Joe said, flopping onto the couch of Nick's dressing room.

"Hey," Nick nodded his head. He was engrossed in an intense game of Halo with Frankie and Joe sighed loudly, trying to grab his little brother's attention.

"Nick?"

"Yeah, one sec…Frankie! How did you do that?" he cried, throwing down the game controller.

"I clicked a bunch of buttons," Frankie shrugged, tossing his controller into a small basket, before getting up and walking out.

"That kid…I swear…" Nick mumbled, putting away the gaming equipment. He grabbed his guitar and sat himself next to Joe on the couch, strumming a few notes. Joe admired Nick, he really did. His talent, music, his whole life and attitude came so effortlessly to him. Nick was simple – if there was something to be passionate about, go after it. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Not much. I'm just…tired," Joe shrugged, leaning back into the couch. "How are things?"

"Alright, I guess. I'm debating whether I should put in a random song tonight. I'm thinking Stay might be nice to do," Nick said, plucking a few strings.

"Sounds cool," Joe replied.

"Joe, what's wrong? You're totally out of it,"

"I'm…I'm in a funk. I don't know what went wrong. It was like, everything was totally clear and the decisions I had to make were so clear, but now…now everything's different," Joe blurted out, feeling a rush of release as the words left his mouth.

"So…Demi?" Nick raised his eyebrows knowingly. Joe scowled, glancing at his little brother.

"Maybe," he shrugged in response.

"It'll all work out, man. Everybody was rooting for both of you, maybe there was just too much pressure, you know?" Nick slapped a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, before his phone started to ring. Digging it out of his pocket, Nick peeked at the caller and bit his lip, as if debating whether or not to pick up or help his brother out.

"Is that Nicole? You can answer it, tell her I said hey," Joe said, stretching out his arms above his head.

"Thanks, man!" Nick tilted his mouth in a slight smile, before pressing the 'Answer' button and lifting the phone to his ear. He left his dressing room for privacy, as Joe continued stretching, letting his thoughts consume him for a little while. Even Nick, the elusive Jonas, had managed to find love, falling for Nicole the minute their characters evolved into a couple on their TV show. Joe couldn't help it, he was jealous. He was jealous of Kevin and Danielle, two people who were perfect for each other. He was jealous of Nick and Nicole (he'd have to make some sort of joke about that later), who, even with the two-year age gap, had managed to fall in love. Had Joe found love before? It certainly wasn't with Taylor or Camilla, even though he dated her for nearly a year. Kevin got lucky, Nick had taken a chance on love, but did Joe miss something that was already there? Had love been staring him in the face, over two tours together, countless amounts of quality time and in the form of a best friend named Demi Lovato? Had she known it all along? After all, it wouldn't have been the first time she'd surprised him.

* * *

_She stretched out comfortably on the bed, shrugging out of her leather jacket and kicking off her shoes. Dressed in a light purple dress, Demi was lying down on Joe's bed, after another live Friday night taping of Sonny With a Chance. After getting picked up by her now-boyfriend (excuse her, while she squealed over that), they had gotten food and headed back to the Jonas household. Demi sighed contentedly, flexing her leg muscles that were sore from wearing her heels all day long._

_ "Comfortable?" Joe asked from across the room, pressing a quick button and letting the sounds of John Mayer fill the room._

_ "Incredibly. I'm so exhausted. I mean, I love Friday night tapings, but sometimes it's just so stressful," she shuddered._

_ "I can't believe you can do that; act in front of a hundreds of people, knowing they're all counting on you to make them laugh. I'd be freaking out," Joe chuckled, plopping himself next to her, his legs stretched out before him._

_ "Are you crazy?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow and using her hand to support her head. Joe grinned, an instant reaction at the sight of her. "You sing in front of thousands of screaming girls! You're a rock star, remember?" she poked him playfully._

_ "Yeah, yeah," he laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "So, what do you want to do tonight?" he asked, letting his fingers trace the contours of her cheeks._

_ "I don't know. Movie?" she suggested. Joe wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "You could teach me how to play pool?" she giggled._

_ "As if!" he laughed, remembering the last time she had insisted on playing the now-famous JB pool table._

_ "Hey, it's not my fault Nick's shin was in the way of the cue ball," she defended, a smile playing across her lips. "I don't know, I kind of just want to hang out here for a while. No paparazzi, no sisters, nothing," she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and let her head fall back onto the bed softly._

_ "I can guarantee the no paparazzi thing, but I've still got Frankie and Nick," he joked, shifting himself so he was now propped up next to her, his hands tracing small patterns on her stomach. She sighed again, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment._

_ "Are they home?" she asked, her voice dropping to a low whisper. _

_ "Well, no. They're out with Maya and Nicole," he shrugged._

_ "What about your parents?"_

_ "They're at a church benefit or something like that,"_

_ "Kevin and Dani?" she asked, biting her lip._

_ "Dem, the only people in this house are us. Well, and Elvis. Actually, Nick might have taken Elvis with him…" Joe's sentence was interrupted by Demi's lips pressing onto his own. Their mouths moved together and her fingers ran themselves through his hair, pulling him closer. Joe reacted instinctively, hovering above her slightly, before Demi grabbed his shoulders and flipped them around. He was looking up at her now, her cheeks flushed, her hair a tousled mess, and her teeth biting nervously on her bottom lip. She straddled him and as she shifted to get into a more comfortable position, Joe couldn't help letting out a low groan._

_ "Hi," she whispered softly._

_ "Hi," he repeated. _

_ "So…" she hinted playfully, her fingers playing with the hem of his white t-shirt. He impulsively decided to flip them over and as he hovered above her, supporting his weight with his arm, Demi bit her lip anxiously. "C'mere," she grinned, pulling his neck down and fusing their lips together again._

* * *

That time, Joe had been surprised by her boldness and her immense trust in him. They went far that night, not far enough to break both their promises, but it was still a night that would linger in his memory for a long time. That was the night he remembered vowing that he would never hurt her, never cause her pain. _'And look where that got me,'_ he thought pathetically to himself. Joe got up from the couch in Nick's room and went back to wandering the backstage corridors of the venue. He could hear their opening act go through sound-check on the stage and he heard the faint music coming from the band's dressing room. He walked and walked, until he stopped outside a door, plainly marked, "Demi Lovato." It seemed absurd to him that only a few months ago, he would've burst into the room without hesitation and start a tickle fight, but now – now, things were different. His fingers lightly touched the doorknob, before pulling his hand away and leaning back against the wall, instead. There were muted noises coming from her dressing room, no doubt a mindless TV show she had put on to calm her nerves. If there was one thing Joe never forgot, it was that Demi Lovato still got nervous before performing.

"Should I…?" he wondered out loud. He ran through the different scenarios in his head. On one hand, he would walk into her dressing room, sweep her off her feet, and they could start their fairytale over. On the other hand, he could walk in and they would have another epic screaming match. He cringed at the latter and his mind immediately brought back the horrific scenes.

* * *

_"This is insane! You knew when you started dating me that it was going to get out somehow! What's wrong with now?" Demi asked, her knees tucked under her chin. They were in Joe's apartment, after a nice dinner out, and somehow, they had managed to start fighting._

_ "I just don't see why everybody has to stick their business in everything!" _

_ "Well, what about when you dated Taylor? Or Camilla? Joe, everything you do is going to be public! Everything I do is going to be public! We're in the freaking public eye, what do you expect?" she cried, waving her hands frantically._

_ "I just want to keep it on the down low," he groaned, hanging his head in his hands._

_ "It is! Don't you see? You're making this a bigger deal than it actually is!"_

_ "Demi, I just…maybe us taking the next step wasn't the best idea," he said, softly._

_ "You…wait, what?" she asked, puzzled._

_ "It's just that there's a lot of pressure right now, with the tour and the TV show, and things are so crazy…" he trailed off._

_ "Hold on a second. You want to break up?" Demi stood up, knocking down the pillow she had been clutching on to._

_ "I didn't say that! I just think maybe we're better as friends," he groaned again, realizing the words had come out wrong the minute he said it._

_ "That's a break up!" she cried._

_ "Demi, I…everything's different now," he fumbled for the right words to say._

_ "No. No, Joseph, everything is not different. You're the one making it different. I've noticed it, you know. These past few days in New York, I've seen how distant you are, how vacant your eyes look sometimes. I shrugged it off, because I thought, well, he's my best friend. He knows where to find me if he needs to talk to me," _

_ "That's just the thing! You're not my best friend anymore! You're my girlfriend! And I miss having my best friend!" he choked out._

_ "News-flash, Joe! You can have both!" she threw her hands up in frustration and started pacing the living room. _

_ "Maybe…maybe I just want one," he said quietly, looking up at Demi, who had stopped pacing. Her eyes were blazing with anger, but Joe could see behind it, she was hurt and disappointed._

_ "Yeah, well, maybe you should get used to having neither," she shot back, before grabbing her purse and running out the door._

* * *

Joe shook his head and walked away from her dressing room, deciding to get some air before he had to be onstage for his own sound-check. That night was a scar that was still fresh in his memory and he knew if he closed his eyes for a second, Joe could recall holding Demi in his arms an hour after their fight, kissing her until the night turned into morning. They had had more good times than bad, he liked to think. As he leaned against the building, his mind ran with thoughts of Demi and their relationship. How had it gotten this far? How had things changed so quickly and so slowly at the same time?

"Joe?" a voice pulled him out of his daydream and he took a look behind him, coming face to face with Kevin. "Sound check, bro," he punched his little brother playfully on the shoulder, before heading back inside. Joe sighed and followed him. When he reached the stage, he saw Nick fidgeting impatiently at his drums, while the band members were all waiting on him. Gulping nervously, Joe quickly jogged to his mic stand.

"Alright, let's run through the duets!" his father cried, tapping the stage with his fingers. Joe groaned inwardly. It wouldn't be the first time he had to do a duet with Demi – they had started off doing duets in Camp Rock. But that was before they decided to be more than friends. "Demi?" Mr. Jonas called out, before she came running out on stage. Joe nervously shifted and let his eyes reach her. She was dressed casually, but her hair was wild and for a minute, he stood, clutching his mic stand, in awe of her. There were moments like this, when she would just appear out of nowhere and completely blow him away. It was that huge grin that spread across the lower half of her face, that twinkle in her eyes, the way her hips swung back and forth as she walked up to the front of the stage.

"Sorry! I'm here now," she grinned.

"Alright, let's go through Wouldn't Change a Thing. I want you guys to really connect, okay? Let's make this work," Mr. Jonas commented, before heading back to the audio booth. Beside him, Joe heard Demi let out a long breath. The music started and he heard Nick banging away at the drums and Demi's soulful voice suddenly filled the arena. Joe watched for her and began singing his own parts. As their voices blended together, Joe fought back tears. It was like the entire day, memories of their relationship played through his mind and they were all culminating in one final song on the stage. They flowed into the chorus seamlessly and finished the second verse, and when he saw Demi walk towards the center of the stage, he matched his actions with hers. They made their way down the catwalk, singing their hearts out, until the song reached an all-time high, a moment that always made Joe's skin jump with adrenalin and excitement. He sensed what Demi was about to do before she did it and the result was both of them turning at the same time and locking eyes with each other. As they sang heartfelt lyrics, Joe let another rush of memories wash over him. He closed his eyes and poured his soul into the song and when it was over, he walked over and gave Demi a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered, before pulling away. Their eyes were shining bright and they locked hands, gazing out at an empty stadium that would soon be filled to the brim with their fans. And in that moment, Joe couldn't think of anyone better to share it with than with his best friend.

* * *

**There it is! I'd really love to know what you think. It's nothing too big, just something I worked on while I was bored, so...let me know! =)**

**Read & Review!**


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